The Bombay High Court asked the Maharashtra government on October 1 if there existed a grievance redressal mechanism in the state for citizens to complain if they are overcharged for COVID-19 treatment at private hospitals and nursing homes.

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A bench of Chief Justice and Justice was hearing a public interest litigation seeking that the state fix a maximum rate that private hospitals and nursing homes can charge for PPE kits. In the previous hearing, the state had told the court that while it had fixed a charge limit for beds and ancillary items including PPE kits for 80 percent of beds, private hospitals, and nursing homes were permitted to charge their own rates for the remaining 20 percent for treatment of both COVID and non-COVID patients.

The state government had said at the time that it could not take over private hospitals completely. On October 1, however, the petitioner urged the court to direct the state to fix the maximum limit for charges for PPE kits for the remaining beds as well. The court then asked the state if it could take any action against private institutions that overcharged COVID-19 patients.

"Even if these are private hospitals, the state grants them registration. If needed, you can cancel their registration, then why can't action be taken if they overcharge?" the bench said. It however, added that cancelling registrations might prove counterproductive since the state was already facing a dearth of COVID-19 treatment facilities. "In the state where I come from (West Bengal), there were similar complaints prior to COVID-19 of hospitals overcharging patients," the Chief Justice said. "Thereafter, a statutory commission headed by a retired high court judge and some doctors was constituted. It is performing quite well," he said.

The court suggested that the state think about a similar grievance redressal mechanism, or if a mechanism already existed, then to ensure its implementation, it said. The court disposed of the PIL and thanked the petitioner for "bringing such an important issue before the court".